Eccles and Dragonetti

[LemonSong]

I've seen recently that some places had guides on how to play certain pieces, is there such a guide to the Eccles???

Who was Eccles...the only thing I've managed to learn is that he's English, and that he was a plagerist....
Did he play bass? Is the concerto originally for bass?? etc...

Same thing with Dragonetti, where can I learn about him??? Everything I seem to find online seems to be conjecture, or seems false...


Any help???

Andy

[Jake]

Damn, your all over this board today!
First, you can read all about Dragonetti in the Raymond Elgar books called 'Looking at the Double Bass.' You should be able to find them at any decent college music library. Just go in and look for em, they won't mind.
As for Eccles, I know he was an English barouque composer (16th and 18th century). The sonata (it's not a concerto) that's played on bass was originally for violin, but all the string instruments play it.



[This message has been edited by Jake (edited July 08, 2000).]

[reedo35]

Who was Eccles...the only thing I've managed to learn is that he's English, and that he was a plagerist....
Did he play bass? Is the concerto originally for bass?? etc...

Henry Eccles (ca.1675-ca.1735)is just one of a family of English musicians (Sometimes known as Eagles) from the generation that followed Henry Purcell. Eccles's older Brother, John was a talented Composer for the theater.
Another brother, Thomas, was a virtuoso violinist, reduced by a drinking problem to scraping out a living (some things Never Change!)playing the local bar scene.It is believed that Henry was hired by Louis XIV as a court composer,and this sonata was originally for violin,(Probably tried to get his brother a gig with the royal orchestra) as has already been said.
As for Plagiarism, he probably got a lot of his ideas from his brothers.Hope this answers some of your questions.


[Edited by reedo35 on 08-14-2000 at 10:42 PM]

[Aziz]

I played his Sonata of 4 parts. I and II are very melodic parts and can sound beautiful on bass. As far as I remember it was written for cello. II and IV are technical and very challenging for doublebass performance. This sonata was one of my favorite paying thing I have played on BASS.

[martinc]

Eccles was a character in the famous "Goon Show" that ran on BBC radio many years ago. I didn't know he played the bass.

Martin.